Posted on 03/13/2010 8:43:27 PM PST by americanophile
U.S. President Barack Obama did not hold back in condemning the humiliation caused to Joe Biden with the Israeli announcement of 1,600 new housing units in East Jerusalem during what was supposed to be the vice president's friendly visit to Israel.
Instead of accepting Netanyahu's partial apology and letting bygones be bygones, Obama issued a stern warning to the Israeli prime minister and is now demanding that he take "specific actions" to show he is "committed" to the U.S.-Israel relationship and to the peace process itself.
Washington did not reveal the contents of the ultimatum or the list of demands reportedly presented to Netanyahu. Those conditions, however, could undermine the prime minister's coalition ties to hard-line right-wing parties like Yisrael Beiteinu and Shas, as well as provoke strong criticism from within his own Likud faction. In case Netanyahu still fails to understand the situation, a U.S. official told Reuters yesterday that the Israeli leader's rightist coalition leaves him in a "perilous" situation.
The prime minister has reached the moment of truth, where he must choose between his ideological beliefs and political cooperation with the right on one hand, and his need for American support on the other.
It is a difficult dilemma. If he comes into conflict with the U.S. administration - hoping his friends in Congress and the Jewish-American community support him in the name of Washington's obligation to the "eternal capital of the Jewish people" - he could jeopardize Israel's security cooperation with the Americans against Iran. Netanyahu knows that the fuel and spare parts for Israel's air force, as well as the warning signals for missiles headed this way, all come from the United States. He also knows that Israel has no other allies with which to face the threat posed by the Islamic Republic.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
"Washington delivered its rebuke to Netanyahu through a number of channels. There was the extended censure by telephone from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a phone call from Biden, the summoning of Israel's ambassador to Washington to the office of Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, the condemnation from the Quartet and, perhaps most important, a media briefing Clinton delivered during a CNN interview which escalated private rebukes into a full-blown public reprimand.
The reproofs were reminiscent of the "low chair diplomacy" the Turkish ambassador to Jerusalem was subjected to by the Israeli Foreign Ministry at the beginning of the year. The media was informed that the conversation between Clinton and Netanyahu lasted 43 minutes, "rather than 10 minutes as usual," and that the prime minister barely uttered a word.
Obama himself reportedly worded the message to be delivered to Netanyahu during his weekly Thursday meeting with Clinton, lest the argument be made that it was merely the secretary of state scolding the Israeli leader, and not the U.S. president himself.
A State Department spokesman described the conversation using phrases which bring to mind a teacher castigating a student, not a working discussion with the leader of a friendly country and ally."
Obammy is a joke. This entire administration is a circus. Thank gawd he’s a one termer.
Obama now a TOOL OF the Palestinians.... and others who hate Israel. Good luck with that O great One.
Netanyahu to Obama: Show us your birth certificate...
Lord God...help us.
I don’t think Bibi’s comments would be near that polite for BoyObaMao
I think a diplomatic version of F#&@ you and the horse you rode in on would be quite appropriate to send to the Bamanation...
Netanyahu would probably have better results with Zero if he showed up in a burka.
When does one of these pantywaist Democrats say that to the Palestinians?
Exactly. It’s absurd.
Just show us you are since by putting loosing your collar and putting your neck here on this block.
Uh...Obama, be careful what you wish for.
Bibi...I think I speak for a majority of Americans, and certainly a majority of Congress in saying this:
WE STAND WITH YOU. NOT WITH OBAMA.
Bibi: TAKE OBAMA ON. REJECT HIM. IGNORE HIM. Do whatever is in the best interests of Israel. Believe me, this pretender-in-Chief can do NOTHING to harm you or Israel. NOTHING Obama can threaten against you will EVER be approved by Congress. STAY STRONG and wait out this Muslim stooge who duped Americans into electing him, but who won't be elected again.
And considering all of the many, many, many times Israel has been attacked, and the incredible amount restraint they have shown, I can only think to say, “Go f%@# yourself, Obama, you stupid @&#*%@#*$@#...!”
Surely somewhere there are a couple of young Mossad or Shin Bet types that always wanted to travel to Hawaii and/or East Africa.
Send a nuke to the Hamas and blow them off the planet, that will show obama!
The online chatter on Debka tonight is that the United States is holding back on military supplies for Israel that would be needed in a conflict with Iran and its surrogates like Hezbollah and Hamas.
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